One of this year’s biggest films, Avengers: Age of Ultron, is finally here. This is a movie that will break records, smash sales, sell a heap of toys and hold firm this record for a long time to come (well, until December when Star Wars comes out).

It’s kind of funny that our generation’s Empire Strikes back is released the same year as the Star Wars universe is revived. Not that it matters… both films will line the pockets of Disney regardless and leaves them in a position where they’ll be Google rich in about 10 months.

Personally, I hold the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to a higher standard than most films I normally review. What I’m looking for here – as should you – is pure entertainment value. The good news is that I can honestly say no movie has entertained me this much since the first Avengers in 2012.

Age of Ultron starts immediately with a devastatingly tasty one shot of Earth’s mightiest heroes ambushing an Eastern European base where evil ex-WWII organisation Hydra hold one of six ‘Infinity Stones’ that control the universe.

Don’t worry if you’re confused. Simply strap yourself in for the next two and a half hours of explosions, witty one liners, cool costumes, more explosions and plenty of destruction as Joss Whedon reminds us why he has control of the MCU. The cult director clearly has a vision (pun intended – you’ll see) for where it’s going in the next few years.

Marvel has managed to unite moviegoers the world over. Whether it’s due to the relentless hype, the passions of comic book readers, or just someone like me (a fan of all things film), it seems we’ve all fallen in love with super humans as storytelling devices for crazy, zany scenarios where aliens or robots are trying to destroy the world we need our heroes to save it.

The villain in this story is Ultron, an AI controlled robot created by Tony Stark (Ironman – Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Hulk, Mark Ruffalo) using an Infinity Stone to foster peace on earth. Unfortunately the experiment backfires where Ultron, expertly and perfectly voiced by James Spader, avenues down the ‘destruction leads to peace’ path seen in any number of other films.

What makes The Avengers different to, say, a Transformers movie is that Whedon manages to craft a plot where the characters are active protagonists that the audience really cares about. From Iron man, Captain America and Thor through to their fellow team members Black Widow, Hawkeye and The Hulk, each character has their own arc that intrinsically resonates within the narrative.

As for Ultron, his character is written and voiced so well you don’t even mind that although his scheme is ludicrous, when you consider the universe that our heroes live in, it seems to make some kind of sense.

There are mixed reviews floating around for Avengers: Age of Ultron. I was pleasantly satisfied. It’s sharp, tight, funny, and the action is epic and clever – infusing teamwork and different fighting styles (I hear 3D can be a bit wild). The villain is menacing and still likeable, and for once we feel the real scope of the drama, accompanied in great non-US locations.

It’s not high-brow cinema, but since when was riding rollercoasters and going to art galleries mutually inclusive? The two co-exist, as does art-house cinema and blockbusters… as do people’s opinions. It’s best to see Avengers: Age of Ultron for yourself but remember through the lens at which this film is targeted.

Want it quantified? Avengers: Age of Ultron: 9/10.